Members of the RMT union have announced that they will strike on three Saturdays in August, directly affecting anyone travelling on East Midlands Railway (EMR) services between Bedford and London.
The industrial action will take place on Saturday, 1, 8 and 15 August and will affect EMR services between Corby and King’s Cross St Pancras.
Passengers will still be able to access train services, but EMR has warned they will be running a “significantly reduced service” between 7am and 7pm.
No rail replacement services will be available.
EMR says that customers are advised to only travel if their journey is essential and to check their full journey, including first and last trains, before travelling on these dates.
On top of the Saturday strikes, the RMT has also said that its members will be taking Action Short of Strike (ASOS) from Sunday, 2 to Friday, 7 August (inclusive), Sunday, 9 to Friday, 14 August (inclusive) and from Sunday, 16 August until further notice.
During these periods, trains may be subject to short-notice alterations and cancellations, so EMR advises passengers to check the service before travelling.
Dispute over “significant number of faults”
The union has been in dispute with EMR since April following the roll-out of the 810 fleet, with the RMT saying the fleet has been operating with a significant number of faults.
In a statement to the press on 17 July, EMR accepted that there were issues.
It said: “Service reliability has not yet reached the standard EMR expects, leaving its frontline teams too often trying to deliver excellent customer service with trains that are not presented in a condition they, or our customers, deserve.”
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “The company has even put out safety notices with no involvement, consultation or negotiation with our reps who represent those most at risk.
“RMT is demanding that whilst these faults exist and until these trains are shown to be operating properly, they should be taken out of service.”
Apologies to those affected
Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’re sorry to customers whose journeys will be affected by this industrial action.
“We know the disruption this will cause, and are advising customers to only travel if their journey is essential…EMR continues to engage in constructive discussions with the RMT in the hope of resolving this dispute as quickly as possible.”
She said: “Any suggestion that the trains do not meet the required safety standards is incorrect.
“The Class 810 fleet entered passenger service only after successfully completing all required testing and meeting the rigorous safety standards required by the independent regulator.”
